City Living Is Greener (Pittsburgh: buses, pollution, train)

[nuwaver88]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09074...pid=newspanel1

Another reason why I prefer city living.

[slamont61]

Good read! I expected to see something else but the arguments in the article are accurate. I've seen it both ways. I lived in the "City" for most of my life, but now am living the rural type of existance. I can see first hand what is described. While it is true that the city residents are going to be more economic and resourceful and also "Green", but that is due to necessity. Would they choose to otherwise? I say no.

Out here in rural America, I can see the occasional resident burning all sorts of wood to heat the home. Why? Because they can. There are only some recent movement towards regulating this kind of polution. Everyone else drives to work and only a handful car-pool. Why? Because they mostly have too. Back in Cityville, I saw droves of folks ignoring pubic transportation so that they could commute in the comfort of thier own car. Equal numbers of them at that. There are cities that exist which don't have the Public Transportation that Pittsburgh has. Detroit bearly has any, and Milwaukee has but five or six buses bringing in the Waukesha Residents, EVERYONE eles drives.

If you really think about it, neither the city dwellers or the urbanites are more green than the other. Both are abusers in one way or another. Last year when all the Gas was pushing into the five dollar range we saw people begin to change their habits and ways, but all of that has gone by the way. How fast they forget.

What's it going to take to make people actually act and react Greenly? Gotta hit them where it counts, and that's not gonna happen. If you ask me, Pittsburgh is one of the most Greenly Existing Cities around. Gone are the major pollution contributors. The region continues to push to create new public transportation. Keep it up, because it works.

[nuwaver88]

I remember a professor asking for a show of hands.."Who would give up their cars if public transportation was more efficient." I think I was the only one in the class to raise my hand. I was not ready to give up my car at that point and time. I think that was what many students thought. I would gladly give up my vehicle for a widespread light rail, or even an efficient commuter rail line that runs every five minutes 24/7. I guess it is hard to imagine such a system allowing the freedom of your own personal vehicle. If it would ever happen, Yes! Take my car.

[igo]

Population density is green up to a point. Skyscrapers end up using more energy to power the elevators, water pumps, etc.

[SweeperSellsman]

Originally Posted by igo

Population density is green up to a point. Skyscrapers end up using more energy to power the elevators, water pumps, etc.

Did you ever think if instead had a thousand different office buildings spread over a much larger area instead of a skyscraper that it would be far more inefficient? Instead of having one huge water pump, you would have a thousand smaller inefficient ones. Yes a skyscraper uses a lot of energy, but having all those offices in one in there own seperate buildings would use a hell of a lot more energy.

[SweeperSellsman]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

I remember a professor asking for a show of hands.."Who would give up their cars if public transportation was more efficient." I think I was the only one in the class to raise my hand. I was not ready to give up my car at that point and time. I think that was what many students thought. I would gladly give up my vehicle for a widespread light rail, or even an efficient commuter rail line that runs every five minutes 24/7. I guess it is hard to imagine such a system allowing the freedom of your own personal vehicle. If it would ever happen, Yes! Take my car.

Having a car is nice for personal freedom on the weekend and going on a road trip. However, it is far better to have public transportation for getting to and from work. I would give up my car in a second if I could ride a train and not sit in traffic. However, I would still own a car or use a zip car on weekends for personal freedom to drive to a state park or something. Having traffic for miles and miles every day and every night is not efficient. This doesn't mean that it has to be all or nothing. How bout efficiency getting people to work and around the city, and freedom for leaving the metro area and using your car 1/10th as much. People always think of things as black and white, but never consider that there are two options.

[ElliottW]

Originally Posted by SweeperSellsman

... it is far better to have public transportation for getting to and from work. I would give up my car in a second if I could ride a train and not sit in traffic. However, I would still own a car or use a zip car on weekends for personal freedom to drive to a state park or something. Having traffic for miles and miles every day and every night is not efficient. This doesn't mean that it has to be all or nothing.

This is entirely correct. It seems like it's one extreme or the other; people either love cars or hate them.